FOUR weeks after the death of a wealthy Rochdale woman in Zimbabwe, her family is still anxiously awaiting for a post mortem examination to be carried out.

TRAGEDY... Michael Bamford has been charged with the murder of his wife Ivy Sutcllife in Zimbabwe.

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FOUR weeks after the death of a wealthy Rochdale woman in Zimbabwe, her family is still anxiously awaiting for a post mortem examination to be carried out.

Ivy Sutcliffe, who was 61, was found with gunshot wounds to the head at her luxury home on the outskirts of the capital, Harare. Neighbours raised the alarm after hearing shooting.

Her husband, former Littleborough taxi driver Michael Bamford, aged 47, was arrested within hours and charged with her murder later that day.

He made a second court appearance last Wednesday and was further remanded in custody.

One of Mrs Sutcliffe's three daughters, Rebecca Nash, who lives in Todmorden, said Mr Bamford's defence lawyers had the first post mortem halted and now the authorities have not been able to find a pathologist to carry out a second.

She said: "We have been assured there will be an autopsy, but they are not quite sure when. The police and authorities are doing their best over there, but there aren't sufficient professionals to carry out post mortems. It could be weeks before it is carried out.

"We want our mother's body released as quickly as possible so we can then make arrangements for her funeral. It is very frustrating."

Three-times married Mrs Sutcliffe had homes in this country, Zimbabwe and Spain and was a former member of both Tunshill and Rochdale Golf Clubs.

Her first marriage was to accountant Liam Taylor, with whom she had three daughters. She then married Brian Sutcliffe, the owner of a Littleborough haulage company and when he died she met Mr Bamford.

His parents, from Littleborough, briefly lived in Zimbabwe, where Mr Bamford was born. They returned to the Rochdale area when their son was young and became licensees of a local pub.

Mrs Sutcliffe had known Michael Bamford for 10 years and they moved to Zimbabwe five years ago. They married in Harare in May this year.